Roundtable: How will the final top-eight take shape?

With one round left in the 2021 home and away season, all eyes are firmly set at what the finals landscape may look like.

With so much still uncertain in relation to first week matchups as well as the battle for the remaining spots, we at Zero Hanger have been debating what the eight might look like all day.

Just like every AFL fan at the moment, we have been glued to our ladder predictors trying to tip the last round and come up with our own conclusions.

The Equation: Best and worst case scenarios for each finals contender

Why we think we can get every game right after such an unpredictable opening 22 rounds we're not sure but nonetheless there's no use giving up.

With that being said, this is what we all at Zero Hanger think the top eight will look like after round 23:

Mitch Keating

Cameron Kellaghan-Tasker

1. Geelong
2. Melbourne
3. Western Bulldogs
4. Port Adelaide
5. Brisbane
6. Sydney
7. Greater Western Sydney
8. Essendon

I think the most intriguing match of the round has to be the Demons travelling to the Cattery to take on Geelong. In what will be the most exciting matchup, I think the Cats will bounce back from their defeat in Round 3 and come out storming against Melbourne.

What will be interesting however is whether either side will hold a couple cards up their sleeves before finals or go all out to secure the top spot on the table.

The Dogs should be able to rectify some of their on-field issues and overcome the storming Power, leaving the Lions outside the top four ruing some poor losses that ultimately cost them a double chance in September.

The Giants and Bombers both have relatively straightforward games against the Blues and Magpies respectively and should hold their spots in the eight from the Dockers who look to be the only threat behind them.

Ben Lawless

1. Geelong
2. Port Adelaide
3. Melbourne
4. Brisbane
5. Western Bulldogs
6. Sydney
7. Greater Western Sydney
8. Essendon

Focusing on the bottom of the eight, both the Giants and the Bombers are rounding into form at the right time of the season and are both playing sides that are injured and have little to no motivation to win.

Both Essendon and the Giants have destiny in their own hands with wins all but solidifying their spots in the eight. GWS should take care of an undermanned and defeated Carlton team to lock in seventh place.

While I believe that Collingwood will make it a close match, I think that this is too good of an opportunity for Essendon to miss. They should beat the Pies and play their first finals in a very long time.

Ben Millard

I think the Dees will get past the Cats easily, with Chris Scott’s side looking sketchy in recent weeks and Melbourne wanting to sew up the minor premiership. Port Adelaide will keep rolling and upset the Dogs with Luke Beveridge’s side dropping out of the four.

Brisbane should breeze past the Eagles, killing their finals chances whilst the Swans will get over the Suns at a canter too. GWS will also topple the Blues easily and secure seventh, so too will the Bombers against Collingwood.

Fremantle will miss out on percentage despite beating the Saints and Richmond should beat the Hawks in a game that will ultimately be a consolation victory.

Danielle Sorati

Port will out muscle the Bulldogs coming off the back of a disappointing few weeks at the kennel, but it won’t be enough for the minor premiership to land in South Australia.

Melbourne will overrun the injury hit Cats in Geelong, securing their spot on top of the ladder and Geelong in third. Expect Hawthorn to finish strongly in Alastair Clarkson’s final game as coach, ending the Tigers season in August, while the Swans and Lions should have comfortable wins.

Freo will beat the Saints in Tassie, but it won’t be enough to sneak into the eight with Essendon recording a comfortable win over the struggling Pies and securing a place in finals. North will beat the Crows but it won’t be enough to lift them from bottom spot, sending the wooden spoon to Arden Street.

Ed Carmine